Bed-motion.



(No Model.)

L. C. CRUWELL. BED MUTIUN.

Patented July I6, I90I.

(Application led July 15, 1898.)

Tn: cams mms 00,. moro-umol, wAsHmojroN. n. c.

UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE."

LUTHER C. OROWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROBERT HOE AND CHARLES W. CARPENTER, OF SAME PLACE, (PARTNERS AS R. AND COMPANY.)

BED-MOTION.

. SIPECIFECATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,358; dated J uly 16, 1901.

Application tiled July 15,1898.

To all whom, it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, LUTHER C. CROWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed-NIotionsiully described and represen ted in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This application relates to certain improvements in crank-operated bed-movements such as are usually employed in reciprocating the beds of bed-and-cylinder printing-machines and other analogous machinery employing heavy reciprocating beds.

As is well known, crank-movements of the ordinary type have .many characteristics which render them particularly well adapted to the reciprocationof heavy beds. They are open to the objection, however, that there is a very considerable loss of time incident to the return of the bed, for during this part of the movement as a rule no work is being done by the machine, and the time consumed in returning the bed is therefore Wasted. When used in printing machinery of the bed-andl cylinder type, ordinary crank mechanisms are also open to the further objection that the movement produced by them is at notime constant. The bed under the influence of the crank mechanism will, as is well known, have a'constantly-increasing movement from the beginning of the stroke upto the middle of the stroke and then a constantly-decreasing movement until the point of reverse is reached. The cylinder is usually driven by the bed during the whole or a part of its reciprocation, according to the type of machine, in order to secure during the print-ing operation exact synchronism of vmovement between the cylinder and the bed during the printing operation, and it follows, therefore, that the movement Vof the cylinder must vary with the variations-inthe movement of the bed. In certain classes of printing, however, it is considered desirable to have the movement of the printing-couple constant and uniform during the printing yoperation on the ground that better results are produced by such a move- 5o ment than .by one which constantly increases Serial No. 6 86i002. (No model.)

and then constantly decreases; and the object of this invention is to produce a crankmovement which can be used for driving the beds of, printing-machines and other analogous machines and which will produce a substantially constant and uniform movement ofthe bed during part of its reciprocation and which Will also give the bed a quick return.

In my application Serial No. 679,087, filed April 27, 1898, I have described and claimed a crank-movement which is intended, among other things, to obviate the objections above stated.

The invention with which this application. is concerned relates to certain modifications of the movement described in that application whereby in addition to the other advantages secured the height of the frame of the machine is considerably reduced, the number of operating parts is lessened, the operating parts are placed upon one side of the machine, and in general an exceedingly compact and efcient machine is constructed.

`The'invention consists in certain constructions, parts, improvements, and combinations, as will be hereinafter described, and fully pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciication, and in which like characters of reference indicate/the same parts, Figure 1 represents afside view of so much of abed-and-cylinder-printing-machine as is necessary to illustrate the application vof my invention thereto: Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the construction shown in Fig; I.

In the machine shown, which illustrates an embodiment of the invention, A indicates the frame of the-machine, and B the reciprocating bed, which moves in ways on the frame in a manner that will be well understood. Rising from the frame A are the usual standards C, in which the impression-cylinderD is mounted, the said cylinder being journaled in the usual rising and falling journal-boxes F, which are operated through connectingrods 10, toggles 11, and a cam-lever 13, bearing a stud 14, which engages with a camgroove in a cam-Wheel J. The cylinder is provided with the usual rack D', which engages with the rack B on the bed when the cylinder is to be driven by the bed, as is usual in the class of printing-machines to which the machine shown belongs.

Mounted upon the shaft, suitably located in the frame, is a driving-pinion E2, which meshes with a large gear-wheel E, provided with gear-teeth E'. This gear-wheel E is mounted on a large hub or boss l, as will clearly appear from Fig. 2. This hub or boss may be supported in the frame on pillowblocks or in any other desired way. Extending through this hub or boss and eccentric to the center of revolution of the gear-wheel E isashaft G. This shaft carries the cam-wheel J, before referred to, and upon its inner end is mounted a crank-arm H, the said crankarm being connected by a pin 6 to a connecting-rod M, the other end of which is yoked and is connected to a railroad-gear 2, engaging suitable racks 3 and 4 on the bed and frame, all of which is clearly apparent from l i before referred to.

the drawings.

Suitably positioned on the gear-wheel E is l' a crank-stud K. This crank-stud K is connected by means of a link L to the crank-arm H, the connection being made by a pin 5, which passes through the crank-arm between the points where it is journaled on the shaft and where the connecting-rod M is secured to it by the pin 6. It will be seen, therefore, that as the gear E is rotated by means of the engagementof its teeth E with the gear-Wheel E2 the crank-arm H, with its shaft Gr, will be caused to rotate and the railroad-gear 2 will be caused to travel back and forth, thereby producing the reciprocating movement of the bed.

Suitably located in the frarneis a shaft on which is mounted a gear P, which is in engagement with gear-wheels 21 22, this chain of gears forming an auxiliary mechanism for rotating the cylinder at a constant speed when it is raised out of engagement with the rack on the bed. This auxiliary constantspeed mechanism is or may be of any approved type, or it may be of the type set forth in my Patent No. 622,125, granted March 28, 1899, to which reference is made for a full description of this mechanism.

The parts being constructed and arranged as shown, the operation is as follows: Power being applied to the driving-pinion E2, the gear-wheel E is caused to revolve about its center. As has been before stated, the shaft G, upon which the crank-arm H is mounted, does not pass through the bearing-block 1 at the centerof revolution ofthe wheel E,but the center of the shaft, and consequently the center of revolution ofthe crank-arm H is eccentric to the center of revolution of the gearwheel G both vertically and horizontally. The result of this eccentric placing of the centers of revolution is to so modify the action of the crank mechanism as to cause the movement produced by it during certain crasse parts thereof to be so nearly a constant movement that from a practical standpoint it can be considered as constant. Vhen the railroad-gear 2 is at the extreme of its movement toward the right of the observer, the crank-arm H willvbe on its center. As the gear-wheel E revolves in the direction of the arrow and the crank moves from the position on its center to about the position shown in Fig. l the arcs described by the pin 5, mounted on the crank-arm H, and the pin K, which is connected to the gear-wheel E, will be substantially though not exactly parallel. After the parts reach about the position shown in Fig. l, however, and from this position to the point where the crank passes a vertical line drawn through its center the continued movement of the gear-wheel causes the arc described by the pin K to approach the arc described by the pin 5, thereby causing the angle between the link L and the arm K to constantly decrease, this action being due to the eccentricity of the centers of revolution The result of this movement of the parts is that the crank-arm Hinstead of transmitting to the railroad-gear the true movement of the crank, such as would be transmitted were the centers of revolution of the crank-arm I-I and the crank-stud K coincident, transmits to the railroad-gear a modified movement which is the result-ant of the two movements which the stud has with relation to the center of revolution of the craukarm-namely,the movement about the center of the crank-arm and the movement toward the center of the crank-arm. The movement of the stud K toward the center of revolution of the crank is nearly suficient to neutralize the increase in movement which the crank-arm would have under ordinary circumstances. After the crank-arm passes the vertical line drawn through its center and until it reaches a position on the other side of said line corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1 the crank-stud, which at that time is moving toward from the centerof revolution of the crank as well as around it, transmits the resultant of these two movements tothe crank, thereby causing the crank to travel slightly slower than it would were it given the true movement of a crank, and thus neutralizing the slight increase in movement which would develop in a true crank movement. During, therefore, the movement which the crankarm has from its position shown in Fig. 1 to the corresponding position on the other side of the vertical line drawn through its center the movement of -the crank will be so modified as to make it practically constant, and therefore the movement of the bed produced byit will be practically constant, and as it is during this time the cylinder is driven by the bed and the printing is done the cylinder and bed will have a practically constant movement. It is to be here remarked that this movement is not a theoretically constant movement, but it is so nearly so that from a ICO IIO

practical standpoint the changes in 'velocity may be neglected and the movement considered a constant one. When the crank-stud K reaches the point at which the railroadgear E has completed its reciprocation to the left of the observer, it will be understood that the crank-stud K has traveled over considerably more than half a revolution. In other words, the varc described by the crankstud K in traveling from the position it occupies when the railroad-gear is to the right of the observer to the position which it occupies when the railroad-gear is to the left of the observer is considerably more than one hundred and eighty degrees. Inasmuch, however, as to make the crank-arm describe a complete circle and produce a complete reciprocation of the bed the crank-stud only has to travel a complete circle, it will be seen that the bed will be given its return reciprocation in a shorter time than was occupied in giving its forward reciprocation, for in producing its forward reciprocation the stud K travelsover more than half its circle of revolution. The crank-movement referred to, therefore, not only produces a constant movement during the printing operation, but also effects a return of the bed, thereby effecting a considerable saving in time. By connecting the link L to the crank H at a point between its center and the point where the link M is connected thereto it is possible with a crank-arm H of a given length to considerably reduce the diameter of the gear-wheel E. In other words, if the link L were connected to the crank-arm H at the points at which the connecting-rod M is connected by the pin '6, as is the case in my said former application, which has been before referred to, it would be necessary to increase the diameter of the wheel E in order to cause the crank-arm H to produce in the railroad-gearand bed the same movements which are now produced by conthe height of the frame of the machine must be sufficient to enable the bed to clear the gear the height of the frame is dictated by the diameter of this gear; By reducing the diameter, therefore, it is obvious that the entire frame of the press can be lowered. Furthermore, by passing the shaft G of the crankarm through the block or bearing l the driving parts can be located on the one side of the machine and the shaft on which the gearwheel is ordinarily mounted can be omitted. A simpler and neater construction is thereby produced. Furthermore, by connecting the link L to the crank-arm in the manner described the pin 6, which connects arm M'and the crank-arm H, is shortened, thereby making a stronger and more rigid construction. It will be noticed that the center of rotation of the gear-wheel E not only lies in a horizontal plane which is non-coincidentwith the horizontal plane passing through the center lwhen the cylinder comes in contact therewith to effect the' printing operation. While this crank-movement is shown as appliedto a bed-and-cylinder'printing-machine, it is to be understood that its use is by no means limited to reciprocating the beds of such machines, but that it may be used wherever it is desired to give a bed during a portion of its reciprocation a practically constant movement and a quick return.

What is claimed is*- l. In a bed-movement,the combination with the bed, of a crank, means whereby the crank is caused to drive the bed, a second crank having its center offset from that of the first crank, means for driving the second crank, and meansfor connecting the two cranks,

said means being connected to the first-named crank between its center and the point at which the bed-driving means is connected, substantially as described.

2, In a bed-movement,the combination with the bed, of a crank, means whereby the crank is caused to drive the bed, a second crank having its center located outside the vertical and horizontal planes which pass through the center of rotation of the rst-named crank, means for driving the second crank, and means for connecting the two cranks, the said means being connected to the first-named crank at a point between its center and the point at which the bed-driving means is connected,`

substantially as described.

3. In abedmovement,the combination with the bed, of a crank, means whereby the crank is caused to drive the bed, asecond crank having its center of rotation lying in a vertical plane which is nearer the center of the bed than the vertical plane passing through the center of rotation of the rst-named crank and in a horizontal plane which is non-coincident with the horizontal plane passing through the center of the first-named crank, means for driving the second crank, and means for connecting the two cranks, the said means being connected to the first-named crank at a point between its center and the point at which the bed-driving mechanism is connected, substantially as described.

4, In a bed-movement,the combination with a crank, of connections including a connecting-rod between it and the bed, asecond crank having its center of rotation 4lying in vertical and horizontal lplanes which are non-coincident with those passing through the center of rotation of the first-named crank, a link connection between thetwo cranks, said link connection being joined to the first-named crank at a point between its center and the point of junction between it and the connectcream ing-rod, and means for driving the second crank, substantially as described.

5. Inabed-movement,the combination with a reciprocating bed, of a gear-wheel located beneath the bed, a shaft passing through the bearing of the said gear-wheel and eccentric to its center, a crank-stud on the gear-wheel, a cank-arm on the shaft, connections including a connecting-rod between the crankarm and the bed, the link between the stud and the crank being joined to the crank between its center of rotation and the point where the link connection leading to the bed is joined thereto, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a bed, of a crank mechanism for driving it including two connected cranks whose centers of revolution are eccentric to each other both vertically and horizontally, and means for supporting and driving the two cranks, said means being located at one side of the bed, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with a bed, of a crank, a stationary bearing upon which the crank is mounted, a shaft passing through the bearing at a point eccentric both vertically and horizontally tothe center of revolution of the crank, a second crank mounted on the shaft, connecting means from the second crank to the bed, means connecting lthe two cranks,

and means for revolving the first named crank, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a bed, of a crank, a bearing therefor, a shaft passing through said bearing at a point eccentric both vertically and horizontally to the center of revolution of the crank, a crank on said shaft, means for connecting the two cranks, means for connecting the second crank to the bed, means for revolving the iirst crank, and raising and lowering mechanism includinga suitable opcrating-cam, said cam being mounted on the shaft of the crank, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a bed, of a crank mechanism for operating it including two connected cranks, one being mounted upon the stationary bearing and the other upon a shaf t passing through said bearing, and raising and lowering mechanism including an operating-cam, said cam being mounted on said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUTHER C. CRO WELL.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES Q. RICE, T. F. Kanon. 

